With so many major projects in the works
across ASEAN member countries, leading organizations are looking to move beyond traditional
project management routines, Mr. Yong says.

“We expect to see more approaches emergingto derive schedule advantages from packagingout smaller scopes of work in parallel,” he says.“Already we are seeing large-scale projects dividedinto more digestible scopes, or two or more simi-lar projects delivered in parallel to take advantageof common design, cost control or procurementopportunities during the delivery.”Organizations looking to deliver projectsthrough these kinds of flexible approaches, how-ever, are challenged by a shortage of qualified tal-ent, Mr. Yong says. “There is generally a shortfallof well-rounded project managers around theASEAN region, especially when you consider thescale of infrastructure projects under develop-ment,” he says.

Collaborating to Build Skills

Part of the solution to the project management
skills shortage may lie in ASEAN’s goal of fully
integrating the region into one economy, allowing
the free movement of goods, services and skilled
labor. The area’s countries have committed to form
the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by 2015.

As part of the AEC, member nations would cooperate to develop human resources and recognize
professional qualifications across borders, among
other things.

This type of collaboration will allow successful
project management models to rise to the top as
project teams learn from the successes and failures
of others, Shazlee says. “Seeing what should and
shouldn’t be done can help project leaders increase
the likelihood of success and overcome common
difficulties,” he says. “It will also reduce dispari-ties in project management practices across the
region.” —Tegan Jones

INDONESIA: Tanjung Priok expansion

One of the largest public-sector projects underway in Indonesia is an expansion of the country’s busiest port. Tanjung Priok, which handles
more than half of Indonesia’s imports and
exports, is overburdened. The multiphase US$4
billion project launched in March 2013 includes
the construction of three new terminals. When
complete in 2023, it will triple the port’s annual
shipping capacity.

THE PHILIPPINES: Entertainment City Manila
This nine-year project begun in 2008 aims to position the Philippines as a vacation getaway, rivaling
classic tourist destinations like Las Vegas, Nevada,
USA and Monte Carlo, Monaco. Located on 100
hectares (247 acres) of reclaimed land on Manila
Bay, the US$5 billion project will include four casino
resorts (the first of which opened in March 2013),
condos, amusement parks, theaters, conference facilities and sports stadiums when complete in 2017.

The Manila Bay Resorts will be the third
resort and casino in the Entertainment
City Manila project in the Philippines.

45

Fueled by
maturing
regional
supply chains
and major
infrastructure
and urban
development
projects, ASEAN
is projected
to become
the world’s
fourth-largest
economy by
2050.